1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gloves, and more particularly to gloves for use by drummers that are designed to allow the drummer to properly grasp and stabilize drumsticks.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to properly play drums, a drummer must grasp the drumsticks and strike a drum with force. As a result, drummers of all skill levels face common problems, such as hand blistering, hand fatigue and unintentional dropping of drumsticks. Such problems put a strain on the drummer""s hand and can hinder performance. Proper gripping and alignment of drumsticks in the hand is also an important part of learning to play the drums. With beginners especially, concentration on performance and technique is lost when one is still trying to gain comfort with holding a drumstick. Therefore, a need exists for a glove that will allow a drummer to both retain and feel the sticks in their hand as they play. Also a need exists for a glove that properly aligns drumsticks in a player""s hands and, at the same time, reduces hand blistering. A further need exists for a glove that allows the drummer to hold the sticks without dropping them. Since the hands are the most used parts of the body, there are many gloves that have been developed to aid people in play, work and general life.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,884, issued to Salvitti on Feb. 2, 1999, describes a gun support glove. The glove exposes part of the thumb and fingers and has a two-piece strap on the palm of the glove. One part of the strap stretches from the crevice of the thumb to the palm area and the other part of the strap stretches from the ring finger to the palm area. The strap is quickly fastenable and releasable and it supports a gun even when it is not in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,148, issued to Meyer on Sep. 11, 2001, describes a glove having a single strap made of two parts. One strap part extends from the crevice of the thumb to either the center of the palm or the back of the hand. The other strap part extends from the outer edge of the palm near the wrist up to either the center of the palm or the back of the hand. The two strap parts are joined together by hook and loop fasteners or a buckle. The strap tightens so the glove securely fits the hand.
Gloves that have a single strap made of two parts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,344, issued to Carmin on Sep. 12, 1950 (buckled strap on glove spirals around an object) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,005, issued to Hetzel, Jr. on Dec. 27, 1988 (Velcro strap extends from the palm of the hand to the end of the tubular finger sleeves.)
Other gloves have a strap that forces the fingers into a closed position to provide a better grip over an object, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,097, issued to Mlodoch on Nov. 11, 1975 (strap pivots over the upper back part of the fingers and is removably secured to the back of the hand) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,615, issued to Bedell on May 28, 2002 (buckled or hook and loop strap extends from the back of finger tips and connects to the back of the glove).
Still other gloves showing a strap are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,942, issued to Skyes on Apr. 28, 1998 (glove having wrist strap); U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,282, issued to Lenhart on Mar. 30, 1999 (glove having a wrist strap to hold a pole); U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,333, issued to Soderquist on Feb. 10, 1942 (adjustable buckled loop strap lying across the knuckle of the glove); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,703 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,089, issued to Marchand on Feb. 23, 1965 and Nov. 16, 1965, respectively, (glove with a strap loop from the back of the hand to the palm area).
Several design patents show ornamental designs for gloves that expose the tips of the fingers and thumb, including U.S. Design Patent Number 335,368, issued to Houston on May 4, 1993 (support glove possessing a wrist strap and a patch in the palm) and U.S. Des. Patent Number 382,087, issued to Arshed on Aug. 12, 1997 (glove exposing a portion of the back of the hand).
Other gloves that assist in gripping objects are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,442, issued to Kang on Jun. 25, 2002 (anti-slip athletic gloves having a silicone coated surface); U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,138, issued to Kang on Apr. 3, 2001 (anti-slip athletic glove); U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,248, issued to Albert on Aug. 6, 2002 (grip enhancing glove having suction cups on finger tips and underside of thumb); and Japanese Patent Number 6-173,103 published on Jun. 6, 1994 (non-slip glove constructed of non-slip yarn).
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a drum glove solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The drum glove of the present invention is designed to allow the wearer to hold and properly align a drumstick in the hand. The glove has a sheath including a back covering and a palm covering for encasing the dorsal and ventral aspects of the hand, four tubular finger sleeves that are open-ended and permit the middle and distal phalanges to extend from the glove, a tubular thumb sleeve that is open-ended and permits the distal phalanx of the thumb to extend from the glove, and a number of elastic bands extending across the palm covering. The elastic bands allow the drummer to hold the drumsticks without unintentionally dropping them. The exposed portions of the fingers and thumbs allow the drummer to retain tactile contact with the sticks while playing.
The number of bands placed on the palm ranges from one to three depending on the type of grip desired by the drummer. The two main forms of grip are the xe2x80x9cmatched gripxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9ctraditional gripxe2x80x9d. In the matched grip position both hands hold the drumsticks in the same xe2x80x9cmatchedxe2x80x9d up-right position. Each stick is gripped so the upper end exits out between the thumb and the first finger. The drum glove designed for use with the matched grip position uses three elastic bands across the palm and index finger of both gloves. The bands are particularly placed on one glove to mirror the image of the opposite hand.
Traditional grip is used for marching bands, or when preferred by the user. With the traditional grip position the left hand holds a drumstick in a writing position, such as when using a pen or pencil. In the traditional grip position the user would use three elastic bands on the superior hand and one band on the inferior hand. Professional level to intermediate level drummers have the option of just using two of the three bands on the superior hand; the two bands used by the drummer would be the band on the index finger and the middle band found on the palm of the glove. Both the single band construction and the multiple band construction function as flexible fulcrums, enhancing the play and performance of the drummer without unnecessary interference. Thus, using two bands as described on the superior hand acts as an alternative for intermediate to pro-level drummers. The two band construction provides greater flexibility and better stroke manipulation.
The drum glove is particularly useful for beginners in allowing them to concentrate on stroke technique, as opposed to the proper alignment of the sticks in their hands. Improper gripping hinders a student""s learning curve and hampers musical growth. By alleviating the initial problem of proper alignment, the novice drummer is able to gain comfort in properly holding the sticks and mastering stroke techniques.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a drum glove that properly aligns the sticks in the drummer""s hand by providing the gloves with elastic bands for holding the sticks.
It is another object of the invention to provide a drum glove which improves grip while permitting the drummer to have a feel for the sticks while playing by having open-ended finger and thumb sleeves.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a drum glove that reduces hand blisters.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a drum glove that helps the drummer to retain the drumstick in order to avoid accidentally dropping the drumstick by retaining the sticks with elastic bands.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.